Spectators Balcony (Spotters Corner)If you're not a professional pilot but want to discuss issues about the job, this is the best place to loiter. You won't be moved on by 'security' and there'll be plenty of experts to answer any questions.

I recall that parked in the BA maintenance area on occasion - it was eventually a Colemill Panther conversion with Q-tipped props and reregistered as N7XB - and painted red; I'm sure I saw recently that it is still about in the UK.

I recall reading several years ago about a group of engineering apprentices who built a small aircraft at Heathrow, and were allowed to have it flown out from a specially cut grass runway.

I woud guess that was the Terrier 3 G-AVYK, which was completed by BEA apprentices in the 1970s.

I won't try to list all the 125s that used to live on the south side in the early 70s ( I think it was 8 or 10 ish), but I do know that the Beagle E.3 ("Mark Eleven") G-ASCC was there for a good while as well. And there was a Jodel (D.11?) parked near the BEA hangar fr a good while as well - I think it was French registered, but I never knew whose it was or why it was there!

Last edited by possel; 19th Apr 2020 at 17:10.
Reason: added the Jodel

I flew a Beechcraft King air into Heathrow in the early 1980's and it was not a big deal. In the 1990's a BA manager owned an ex Hamble Piper Cherokee and he arranged to fly it into LHR at about 1 am and parked it in the BA hangars where the engineers spent a couple of days preparing and respraying it and then he flew it out again also in the early hours. He had a beautiful paint scheme and it was all done very cheaply. I very much doubt it would be possible these days. Having said that a few years ago I was taxing out at Heathrow, departures were halted briefly as 4 helicopters took off simultaneously from the terminal areas. I think it was a wedding party for someone extremely wealthy. (He certainly would not have been quite so wealthy after that.)

Reference a previous post I too have flown into Dallas Fort Worth in a Cessna 172 and a Cessna Cardinal, almost 40 years ago. Everyone was up in arms because it used to be free but they had just introduced a $7.50 landing fee! On one occasion they told me to land on a taxiway so I did. It was quite exciting taxiing out behind a queue of DC10's. ATC were very good and used to say to the guy in front, "Go easy on the power 'cos yah got a li'l fella behind you. "

So here in deepest Sunbury-on-Thames we are now not only being entertained by a rather different selection of helicopters from normal but also by an almost daily parade of low-level light singles. It was interesting to see an elderly Piper Cub a few days back, then a C150 yesterday and today an RV7 has buzzed over at 900 feet and headed up to central London. Since fellow residents are now asking me what this is all about, I'm wondering whether anyone on here can advise as to what rules (if any) have changed in the current situation to allow this? Or is it simply that with so little airline traffic at the moment ATC is grateful for anything to control, however small?!

I'm sure in the mid 80's you could land one of the BA Flying Club's planes at LHR on Christmas Day for £50 inc handling. I never did it, so not sure if it is true. Also heard they flew their fleet of PA38s there to be painted in the BA paint shop. Again, could be fake news?